


By the Fire

by shieldivarius



Series: Christmas Roommate Stories [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Femslash Yuletide, Fluff, Prompt: By the Fire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-01
Updated: 2013-12-01
Packaged: 2018-01-03 03:14:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1065097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shieldivarius/pseuds/shieldivarius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The heat that poured out of the electric fireplace almost made up for the building's radiator troubles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By the Fire

The apartment had been decorated with the most gaudy, festive things on offer, and even if Melinda had been able to fathom why Natasha lived with Barton _before_ the holiday season hit, she wouldn’t have been able to understand it now. 

There was a Christmas tree in the corner. An honest to god real live tree. And it was starting to look a little sad and dry now, because it had been set up at least two weeks ago and neither Barton nor Natasha seemed to remember they had to water it, but it was still standing and covered in multi-coloured lights and gold and silver tinsel from crown to base. There was even a star on the top, though neither of the inhabitants of the apartment ascribed to the stories that called for the star to be there.

Icicle lights hung in the windows. There was a wreath on the front door—both on the hallway side _and_ on the foyer side. There was mistletoe hanging in the doorway to the kitchen, and Barton had assured her it was to trip up herself and Natasha.

Considering how often the occupants spent away from the hole in a wall of an apartment, it was awfully festive. Down to the electric fireplace heater that one of them had bought second hand somewhere and dragged in and set up. The heat that poured out of it almost made up for the radiator troubles they were having in the living room.

“You’re sure Barton’s not going to be home anytime soon?” Melinda asked the tangle of red curls hiding the features of Natasha’s head, pillowed on her chest. Natasha grumbled something incoherent, so that Melinda could feel the sounds more than hear them, let alone understand them. “Are you sleeping?” she asked, amused.

Natasha patted across the shag blanket they were curled up on, tugged the edge of it and, clearly half-asleep, tried to pull it over her legs. Since she and Melinda were both lying on the thing, only the corner of it folded over, touching one of her feet but not getting much further. 

Melinda laughed, the light shaking of her chest bringing Natasha back to wakefulness with a grumble in her throat. 

“There’s another blanket in my room,” she mumbled, words coming out in a sleepy slur. 

“I suppose you want me to go get it,” Melinda said. “Since you were almost asleep.”

Natasha smiled up at her and shifted her weight until she wasn’t lying on Melinda any longer. “If you wouldn’t mind.”

Melinda sat up, “Answer, before we _both_ fall asleep. Barton?”

“Gone for the night,” Natasha said. “We’ve got the place to ourselves, he’s staying on base.” She yawned and rose when Melinda did. “I’ll make coffee, if there is any.”

Melinda caught her as she entered the kitchen. “No coffee,” she said. “Warm up that mulled wine.”

“Okay,” Natasha said, then hummed in her throat and glanced upward. Melinda followed her gaze, huffing a laugh and rolling her eyes when she remembered the mistletoe. Natasha leaned in and for a moment they stood there, wrapped up in each other and exchanging kisses.

“You’re still cold,” Melinda said when they parted. “Warm up that wine, I’ll get the blanket.”

When she came out with the blanket, a warm thick wool thing that Natasha had for as long as she’d known her, Natasha was crouched by the radiator and hitting the knob as though that would make it give off more heat. She turned up the heat on the electric fireplace to max and lay back down.

“Come here,” she said, holding her arms open for Natasha. 

“I should get someone in to look at this if the Super won’t,” Natasha said with a scowl.

“You should move,” Melinda replied. “I keep telling you that,” she smiled to soften the tone when Natasha frowned at her. “Come here,” she repeated.

Natasha crossed and slid in next to her, and Melinda spread the second blanket over the both of them, tugging Natasha close with one arm around her waist. Natasha sighed and pillowed her head back where it had been on Melinda’s chest.

“One of us is going to have to get up and check on the wine,” Natasha murmured.

“I can do that. I’ll wake you when it smells ready.” 

Natasha made that happy humming sound in her throat again, and minutes later her breathing had evened out in sleep. Feeling warm and happy, Melinda watched the fireplace cycle through its pattern of flame-like lights, keeping herself from succumbing to sleep by playing with Natasha’s hair and trying to figure out where Barton had gotten the ugly little gnome-like angel hanging in the upper branches of the Christmas tree.

**Author's Note:**

> I've literally just titled all my Femslash Yuletide fics by their prompt. Oops.
> 
> http://shieldivarius.tumblr.com


End file.
